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Author
Topic: hello (Read 6359 times)

Hi I have been on here aprox. two months ,still a newbieI have got to go the the doctors next week to get my numbers I have been procrastinating because of the shock and also a move in address very stressful. i also toojk time off work. Question 1 do i need to disclose my status to anyone esp if I work in a health care setting? i live in canada I don't know the law in that aspect!

Second I am symptomatic and in denile I am having shortnss of breath and wake up in the morning mylungs in my back feel like some one sat on me and deflated them.Is this a sign of my my first OI do i have PCP or TB already??I was infected aprox end of March...that would be tooo soon right.I'm am wondering if they will put me on Atripla right away because of symptoms annoying 111111

Since you haven't stated any numbers, it is hard to tell if you'd even be in the range for which PCP might be a possibility. As for TB - well you said you work in Health Care, so I suppose you could have been exposed.

But since you state that you're a newbie, I wonder if it is simply the stress causing you to take a more shallow breath. I wasn't certain from your phrasing if the shortness of breath is just in the morning, combined with your back ache, or separately, like when you exert yourself.

I find that when I'm under stress, in my sleep I will roll on my side, curl my shoulders together, and basically crush my chest into a small enough ball that I can't get a good breath. I'll often wake up gasping. Hugging a stiff pillow seems to keep the shoulders apart, and let be breath better.

In general when stressed I sleep less soundly, and wake up with many different muscles hurting, as though they have been clenched all night, and occasionally short of breath.

Certainly when you visit your doctor next week, discuss all of this. He/She'll be giving you a good physical, and listening to your lungs, and will tell you if more tests are necessary, and what else needs to be done.

Come back and tell us your results (in this thread) and perhaps we can offer better advice and support.

thank you LT. I will let you know on my next visit. I've been so busy with this moving thing that I neglected my health. and the Stress of moving is alot. I was afraid to go to the doctor for a while afraid of bad news. I can't believe some people here arn't very compationate every one deals with this differently and in their own time. I guess i was in denile and didn't want to know plus if I didn't find a place soon Iwould be homeless! I am shocked that someone here wants to report me? for what??? for procrastinating, being scared after my results . I don't get it. The specialist takes a while to schedule too ! I had the ordeal to find a doc that specializes in this. whew! which I already stated elsewhere. I thought this was a support network not an interrogation! thanks again Lt for the support it's appreciated.the specialist has to schedule the appointment and sit down with me to explain everything of which I haven't had the time because I did'nt want to end up on the Street. Vacancies are hard to find right now. And i really don't need nosey neighbours or stress!!!the regular GP doctor wants to put me on Zyprexa, Benzodiazapines I don't know if thats a good idea?

To be honest I think you are full a BS and I guess a confirmation by you of your status will put all that to rest. Until that happens I suggest everyone do a quick rundown of your prior posts and judge for themselves your veracity. Until that time I suggest folks refrain from answering your worried well questions, just like they did in Am I infected. If you indeed do turn out to be positive, I will be the first to apologize and welcome you with open arms...but I don't see that happening.

thank you LT. I will let you know on my next visit. I've been so busy with this moving thing that I neglected my health. and the Stress of moving is alot. I was afraid to go to the doctor for a while afraid of bad news. I can't believe some people here arn't very compationate every one deals with this differently and in their own time. I guess i was in denile and didn't want to know plus if I didn't find a place soon Iwould be homeless! I am shocked that someone here wants to report me? for what??? for procrastinating, being scared after my results . I don't get it. The specialist takes a while to schedule too ! I had the ordeal to find a doc that specializes in this. whew! which I already stated elsewhere. I thought this was a support network not an interrogation! thanks again Lt for the support it's appreciated.the specialist has to schedule the appointment and sit down with me to explain everything of which I haven't had the time because I did'nt want to end up on the Street. Vacancies are hard to find right now. And i really don't need nosey neighbours or stress!!!the regular GP doctor wants to put me on Zyprexa, Benzodiazapines I don't know if thats a good idea?

Hey Powerpuff,

I understand your situation, but you do need to get to a doctor and have labs done. We can't speculate without having more information as to what your CD4's, %, and Viral Load are.

Stress and emotional well being are important regarless of HIV status. Some of the symptoms you discussed sound much like they could be caused by anxiety and stress.

Have you gotten to an infectious disease doctor specializing in HIV yet? If you are HIV+, it's important to have that information because no one can advise you properly how to proceed with treatment options if any are even needed yet.

Thanks again LT, the place where i went to to get my test was an anonamous std clinic for privacy confidential issues.they usually go by initials.however to receive a copy of my poz result you need to show your i.d. if you want the paper. howver you can't prove it's you with just initials, they told me they neede the full name. stupid if i new that i would have put the full name so i could pick up the paper. so i went ther for the paper out of town and they wont giveit to me cause they can't proveit's mebecause of initials. so i guess i will go to the doctor without it, another extra trip, tell himI'm poz on my labs at the std clinic and tell him to run a Viral load test. i hope he does it ! anyone who questions me on anonomous confidential testing at a std clinic and how they do it has got to be a total moron? dauchund. even you should know it goes by initials. where did you get your test done/.? a hospital, clinic or your doctors office where you get a requisition form with your name on it from the doctor? totally different.

Anyway ,i'mnot here for squabbling, i here for information on my health and if anyone wishes to share there welcome. I was hoping this was a compasionate group. I just wanted toknow if anyone else has experience this shortness of breath thing and if i shouldbe concerned. since i'm new and not on meds. and very scared. when my friend past she had it for seven years. so i'm not so up to date on all the medical breakthroughs on meds even if i work in a health setting it is not my expertise!

Shortness of breath could be caused by so many different things - not all of them hiv related - and we cannot diagnose what is causing yours. This is something you need to speak with your doctor about.

There really isn't any further advice we can give you without knowing your numbers. That isn't a criticism, it's just a simple fact. There's no point in warning you against PCP if you have 700 odd CD4 cells.

I hope you get in to see your doctor very soon so you can get your questions answered and find out where, exactly, you stand.

I'm sorry we can't be of more help. There's only so much we can accomplish over the internet.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hey powerpuff. Welcome to the forums. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis but you've come to a great place full of positive people (both HIV and otherwise...)

I also live in Canada, Vancouver Island for now but will soon be relocating either back to Vancouver or perhaps Toronto in hopes of meeting a wider segment of the poz population. If you live in a city and are a; gay man, woman, IV drug user, or First Nations person you will find that there is plenty of support out there tailored to meet your specific needs. If you are not, well, then it can be a bit tougher but there are still places where you can access support, it's just that it won't at all reflect your lifestyle.

As far as disclosure goes, in Canada we are fairly lucky. You have no legal obligation to notify anyone of your status unless you intend to have unprotected sex with them. If you use a condom then you're good to go. Some argue that it's morally wrong to go ahead with sexual relations knowing that there is a possiblity you could pass the disease on, others argue that they are equally entitled to their privacy and are acting within the boundaries of the law so there is no need to disclose. You need to decide for yourself what works best for you.

If you're in Vancouver, you could to to BCPWA or AIDS Vancouver. If you're on Vancouver Island there is AVI (Aids Vancouver Island). If you are in Toronto or the GTA you could go to Aids Committee Toronto. I don't know any Montreal services so if you're in Quebec I'm afraid I have no info for you. If you like smoking weed, good news, you are legally able to grow and smoke it! Also, if you are in a major urban centre you'll find that there are health clinics with excellent doctors available to service you for all your medical needs. They often specialize in HIV treatment and you will be made to feel welcome and like you are no less than those who are negative (or at least that has been my experience at the clinic I attend)

I had that shortness of breath after I was tested and before I got my results, so I put it down to stress. First and only time I ever had it.

No point in speculating or wondering, you will do the best for yourself and others by getting your results and dealiing with it.

So, first things first, get your results, know where you stand. Once that happens, and if you are in fact positive, they will refer you to a counsellor and from there to a Doctor. Following the initial results, they will have to conduct Viral Load and CD4 tests among other things, to ascertain where you are at, and therefore what course of treatment is required.

Everyone on these forums has dealt with it, and we can support you if you support yourself.

Anyway ,i'mnot here for squabbling, i here for information on my health and if anyone wishes to share there welcome. I was hoping this was a compasionate group. I just wanted toknow if anyone else has experience this shortness of breath thing and if i shouldbe concerned. since i'm new and not on meds. and very scared. when my friend past she had it for seven years. so i'm not so up to date on all the medical breakthroughs on meds even if i work in a health setting it is not my expertise!

did you sort things out with the test results? Did you have to retest or ? You will feel a lot better when you have the results in hand and we'll be able to help you. Then you can maybe tell us your story?

I remember you PMed me a couple of weeks ago when the clinic messed up you getting your results back. You said you were going to a doc's and it would be about two weeks. I'm thinking you should be getting results back this week, unless you had to wait to get the doc appt. Let us know what's happening, ok?

We've seen you here for awhile and we just don't know where your numbers are. The people in these forums have a wealth of knowledge to share, but understand that a baseline (i.e. CD4 and VL numbers) is needed first.

hi i just got back my hep c results at 53/4 months after an exposure they say negativewhich is weird because the guy is hep c pozHow could i contract hiv but not hep c?hep c is easier to get.do i need to go back and retest for hep? this is all taking to long....test after test...i called for the results this morning. good news, then why do i feel doubtful.....?

iam awaiting counts from doctor, i called in today but they just had my hep c results so far apparently the hep c comes in faster?hepc like hiv are both blood borne. i know vancouver had a support goup called hep/hive for suppot for both questions on both ilness after all alot of hiv people are co-infected i found out. and yes it would affect treatment course if i was indeed co- infected.that would suck...but so far good news no hep!I still don't get it how i could get hiv but no hep c. maybee he was on the hep c meds and virus was low?don't want both because treatment options are limited.I've noticed i get vomiting and gaging in the afternoon is that common?

It's not because someone has hep c, hiv and other possible diseases that you will necessarily hit the jackpot and get everything at the same time. You're lucky you're hep c negative, now concentrate on hiv, get your counts, and go from there. You seem to be extremely stressed and I wouldn't be surprised that your vomiting and other symptoms you describe in other posts are due to stress.